Thus began the increasing efforts of the American President to create conflicts, to do everything to prevent conflicts from being peacefully solved. For years this man harboured one desire-that a conflict should break out somewhere in the world. The most convenient place would be in Europe, where American economy could be committed to the cause of one of the belligerents in such a way that a political interconnection of interests would arise calculated slowly to bring America nearer such a conflict. This would thereby divert public interest from bankrupt economic policy at home towards foreign problems.

Is it me, or does this also sound like George W.? Well, take our Europe and replace it with the Middle East.

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One thing you can count on: You push a man too far, and sooner or later he'll start pushing back.
- Max Payne

If you give me rep points, I thank you. I don't always get around to thanking you individually though.

I think it is a myth that Hitler 'allowed' the BEF to escape, after all, how could giving Churchill a lifeline be considered a way of encouraging him to make peace when it could only strengthen his position?

I think it's certainly possible that Hitler allowed the BEF to escape. If he in fact did, then the answer to your question is easy: Hitler often made irrational military decisions. If that was the case, he may have thought that by letting them go, the British government would respect his decision as a gesture of kindness and make peace. Hitler did harbor the rather naive view that the French are natural enemies of the English and thus he viewed England as a potential ally against France! It's right there in Mein Kampf, look it up. We all know how silly that notion turned out to be.

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Equality is a slogan based on envy. It signifies: "Nobody is going to occupy a place higher than I"
- Alexis de Tocqueville

I think that if he had dropped one, and if he had chosen Washington D.C. as his target, most Americans would have applauded him.

A small (tactical) one on Congress and the Senate, with Roosenfeld giving a speech, would have been perfect. And an end to so many of our troubles, what with high and mighty politicians who think they're so much better and more important than we the people who elected them to carry out our collective will. And who always turn out to be nothing more than smooth-talking, well-heeled criminals out for their own greed.

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"The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government." --Thomas Paine

"Germany will be perfectly ready to disband her entire military establishment and destroy the small amount of arms remaining to her, if the neighboring countries will do the same thing with equal thoroughness. Germany is entirely ready to renounce aggressive weapons of every sort if the armed nations, on their part, will destroy their aggressive weapons within a specified period, and if their use is forbidden by an international convention. Germany is at all times prepared to renounce offensive weapons if the rest of the world does the same. Germany is prepared to agree to any solemn pact of non-aggression because she does not think of attacking anybody but only of acquiring security"- Adolf Hitler

"Germany will be perfectly ready to disband her entire military establishment and destroy the small amount of arms remaining to her, if the neighboring countries will do the same thing with equal thoroughness. Germany is entirely ready to renounce aggressive weapons of every sort if the armed nations, on their part, will destroy their aggressive weapons within a specified period, and if their use is forbidden by an international convention. Germany is at all times prepared to renounce offensive weapons if the rest of the world does the same. Germany is prepared to agree to any solemn pact of non-aggression because she does not think of attacking anybody but only of acquiring security"- Adolf Hitler

Well, that sounds nice and all. But something like that is easy for a politician to say when he knows no neighboring country is ever going to do that.

I bet Japan wasn't worrying about civilian casualties after they bombed Pearl Harbor. I think it should be the leaders of countries targeted during an attack, because attacking the military is wrong. They are just doing their job like everyone else.

Probably. It's a pretty liberal nation in general is it not?
Something Hitler quite disliked unless I am very much mistaken.
I doubt America would have joined him therefore I think he would have felt he had no other choice but to blast 'em, them being a powerful nemesis after all..

Right, but its wrong for young men to die because older men think its the right thing to do.

Well, sure. That argument is old as the hills and very true. However, I'm speaking about practical reality here. It's well-nigh impossible to just take out the leader of an industrialized country during a war. Now after the war is resolved, with your side being the victor, that's a different story.